No. 65
Published by The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York
SPRING 2006
HAMILTON BIOGRAPHER CHERNOW RECEIVES IRVING MEDAL
T
he fall stated meeting held on Thursday, October 13, 2005 at the Racquet
& Tennis Club, at 52nd Street and
Park Avenue, was distinguished by the
award of the Society’s Washington Irving
Medal for Literary Excellence to Ron Chernow, for his book Alexander Hamilton
(Penguin Books, 2004), which tells the
extraordinary story of a man who overcame
all the odds to shape, inspire—and occasionally scandalize—the newborn America.
Hamilton, of course, became a New Yorker
by adoption and is therefore of particular
interest to members of The Saint Nicholas
Society, a goodly number of whom assembled to hear the author’s take on the statesman whose face adorns the ten-dollar bill
of our national currency.
co-authored The Federalist Papers, founded the Bank of New York, led the Federalist Party, and became the Republic’s first
Secretary of the Treasury.
The French might describe Hamilton’s life,
passions and affairs as mouvementé. From
his shame about his birth to his fiery aspirations, from his intimate relationships
with childhood friends to his feuds with
Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Monroe, and
Burr, and from his high-profile affair with
Maria Reynolds to his marriage to Eliza
Livingston—we may infer that life with
Hamilton was seldom dull. Nor was his
departure from this world, in the famous,
but also mysterious duel with Aaron Burr
in July of 1804.
President William R. Follett led the proceedings attired in the traditional style:
white tie and tails, historic tricorne hat, and
gold medal of office suspended from his
neck. Regular attendees of Stated Meetings
know to expect a gracious speech featuring
a few “new” jokes, a state of the Society report, and a pleasing yet dignified expeditiousness in dispatching business matters
so that all may enjoy the food and drink. In
this regard, the fare at the Racquet Club did
not disappoint.
Admissions Committee Chairman George
McNeely IV displayed his flawless technique of introducing one new member,
David F. Smith, who was then inducted by
President Follett.
As he was an illegitimate, mostly selftaught orphan from the Caribbean, Hamilton’s brilliant future was difficult to divine.
But after he made his way to North America, he rose to become George Washington’s aide de camp in the Continental army,
Mr. Chernow proclaims that America’s
current political and economic primacy is
the result of Hamilton’s ardent advocacy of
economic ideas that were often controversial during his time. “To repudiate his
legacy,” he writes, “is, in many ways, to
repudiate the modern world.”
The Fall Stated Meeting more than satisfied the objectives of the Society: to collect
and preserve knowledge about New York,
and to promote social intercourse among
the members.
Brian A. Blake, Steward, with Joseph vanB.
Wittmann III, Chief Steward
David and Marguerite Platt with
M. P. and Bob Naud
David F. Smith
David Church and guest
The Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Pike, a guest and
Adam Van Doren
Author Ron Chernow
concisely described the
legacy of Alexander
Hamilton. “To repudiate
his legacy is, in many
ways, to repudiate the
modern world.”
Eugene L. Church and Stewart R. Manville
Barry C. Howard with President William R. Follett
John Mauk Hilliard, Courtney Haff and
Malin Cedarquist
Society Sponsors Tulip Bulbs for St. Mark’s Church
A
s part of the citywide celebration “5
Dutch Days—5 Boroughs: Dutch Art
and Culture Past and Present” (November 16-21, 2005) The Saint Nicholas Society joined with other organizations at 11:00
a.m.
on
Wednesday,
November 16, in a ceremonial planting of
bulbs in the churchyard at St. Mark’s Church
in-the-Bowery, 10th Street and Second Avenue. We were fortunate to have unusually
mild, springlike weather for the day. The bulbs
were donated by Mr. Hans van Waardenburg,
owner of B&K Flowerbulbs of Holland; in recent years, especially since 9/11/01, he has donated literally millions of bulbs for planting in
and around NewYork. For example, in Central
Park, in the springtime, the brilliant yellow
daffodils arise from bulbs generously given by
Mr. Van Waardenburg. The Honorable Cora
Minderhoud, Consul General of the Netherlands, spoke at the ceremony, as did Mr.
Theodore Prudon, of the Netherland-America
Foundation. Nicholas Fish, Esq., a direct descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, was master of
ceremonies for the event. His forebear, Lt. Col.
Nicholas Fish (an original member of the New
York
State
Society of the Cincinnati), married Elizabeth
Stuyvesant at St Mark’s Church, April 30,
1803. The couple moved into the handsome
brick federal-style house built for them as a
wedding present, at 21 Stuvesant Street. The
house is still standing, just down the street from
St. Mark’s.
In his comments, Mr. Fish noted that
the church location is the oldest site of
continuous worship in Manhattan. The
Stuyvesant family chapel stood there over
350 years ago, when the area was part of
Peter Stuyvesant’s bouwerie (or farm), and
in 1799 the present St. Mark’s Church was
erected on the same grounds. Our president, William R. Follett came as an honored participant in the ceremonies; our
executive director, Jill Spiller joined in,
wearing a cheerful hat; several others represented The Saint Nicholas Society, in-
York. I can think of no better way to support that mission than with our participation in this event. Surely there can be no
more attractive charge than to create a
beautiful garden on Peter Stuyvesant’s
farm. I offer my thanks to Mr. Van Waardenburg, to the Dutch Consulate in New
York, and to the Five Dutch Days creators
for their gifts—gifts of time, talent, and vision. Many years ago St. Mark’s Church
in-the-Bowery celebrated spring with a
tulip festival. It is very gratifying to be part
of the effort to return that tradition to this
historic neighborhood. Thank you.”
President William R. Follett (in foreground) with
Hans van Waardenburg, Theodore Prudon and
Dutch Consul General Cora Minderhoud
President Follett with the Rev. Julio Torres, Priestin-Charge of St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery
cluding: Courtney Haff; Sandy Sanford;
John McC. Shannon, First Vice President;
and Frank Sypher. Following are words
spoken for the occasion by William R.
Follett, President of The Saint Nicholas
Society:
“Thank you for inviting me to be here
today and for having me be a part of this
celebration. It has been an honor, and a
pleasure, for The Saint Nicholas Society to
work with Hans van Waardenburg, owner
of B&K Flower Bulbs of Holland. For
years to come, his bulbs will bring a beautiful Dutch spring to this historic soil. The
Saint Nicholas Society was founded 170
years ago to preserve and promote the
history of old New Amsterdam and New
Obituary:
JOHN ELLIOTT, JR.
served on the Speakers and Medals Committee, bringing many prominent New
Yorkers into our midst.
ohn Elliott, Jr. died
at the age of 84 on
Saturday, October
29, 2005, of a cerebral
hemorrhage. Jock Elliott
was elected to membership in The Saint
Nicholas Society on
May 8, 2000, in right of
descent from Stephen
Coerte Van Voorhes. In 1995 he was awarded
the Society’s Medal of Merit. As a member, he
Jock was born on January 25, 1921, in
Manhattan, son of John and Audrey Osborn
Elliott. He attended the Browning School in
Manhattan, and St. Paul’s in Concord, New
Hampshire, and he graduated from Harvard, A.B. 1942. During World War II he
was a major in the U.S. Marine Corps. Jock
had a distinguished career in advertising,
becoming chairman of Ogilvy & Mather International, and retiring in 1982. Jock was
well known as an author and book collector,
with a specialty in material relating to
J
2
After remarks by the speakers, and introductions of various dignitaries—such as
our host for the event, the Reverend Julio
Torres, Rector of St. Mark’s—the participants, led by Mr. Van Waardenburg, began
digging and carefully planting bulbs at a
spot near the bust of Peter Stuyvesant, who
sternly overlooked the entire proceeding,
we trust with warm approval. After the
principal events were over, Mr. Van Waardenburg returned to the plot and gently
brushed some leaves over the new plantings, to cover and protect them until spring.
A few weeks after this event, St. Mark’s
held a special church service in honor of St.
Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. Several members of The Saint Nicholas Society participated, including President William R.
Follett. This event is scheduled to be an
annual occurrence in future years, with
particular reference to participation by our
Society, which has a long history of close
and cordial connection with St. Mark’s.
(See article on “Saint Nicholas Society
Sunday.”)
In response to the Society’s participation in
Five Dutch Days, we received from the
organizers, Susan De Vries, Felicia Mayro,
and Sean Sawyer, a card of thanks, and a
beautiful poster, which can be seen at our
office, handsomely framed.
Christmas. His superb collection formed
the basis of his delightful volume Inventing
Christmas: How Our Holiday Came to Be
(Harry N. Abrams, 2002), an illustrated history of the celebration of Christmas. He was
a member of the Century Association, and
of the Grolier Club, as well as of other organizations.
Our sincere condolences to his wife,
Eleanor Thomas Elliott, recipient of the Society’s Medal of Merit in 2002. A funeral
service was held at Saint Thomas Church,
Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street, on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.
O
SUMMER PILGRIMAGE TO IRVING’S SUNNYSIDE
n Saturday, September 17, 2005
members of The Saint Nicholas
Society and their guests gathered at
Irvington, New York for an excursion and
tour of Washington Irving’s house, “Sunnyside.” For the occasion, President William
R. Follett gave the following address.
“Washington Irving bought a small house
on this land in 1835. He was one of the
founders of The Saint Nicholas Society in
that same year. He was the driving force
behind the creation of our Society. It was
his belief that, as the St. George’s Society
represented the English, the St. Andrew’s
Society represented the Scots, and the St.
David’s Society represented the Welsh,
there also should be a society that represents early families of New Amsterdam and
New York. This Society remains unique
today because of his hand. We are known to
value wit, self-deprecation, and humorous
stories; in short, we have fun.You can imagine Irving at a Stated Meeting in, say, 1841
standing during dinner and sharing a clever
story, perhaps about his travels in Spain, or
about the Van Tassels’ daughter. The assembled gentlemen would be laughing and applauding all the way through. We recall that
seventeenth-century Manhattan was a wonderful, great mix of cultures, and we keep
up many Dutch traditions that continued in
use long after the English changed our
city’s name to New York. The simple, romantic beauty of Irving’s images still
inspires us.
“Our Society remains vital because we
carry his spirit with us still. Humor and a
congenial atmosphere, mixed with intellectual discussions about our history, about the
present day, and about the future of New
York. This is the fuel that will keep The
Saint Nicholas Society strong and growing
for another 170 years.
“As we sit here in this beautiful place, consider this quotation from Irving: ‘I think it is
an invaluable advantage to be born and
brought up in the neighborhood of some
grand and noble object of nature; a river, a
lake, or a mountain. We make a friendship
with it, we, in a manner, ally ourselves to it
for life. It remains an object of our pride and
affections, a rallying point, to call us home
again after all our wanderings.’
imagined that this Society would survive
this many years?
“It is my pleasure to announce that The
Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New
York will be donating several hundred
flower bulbs, imported from Holland, to be
planted here at Sunnyside. More will be
planted at other Historic Hudson Valley
sites. This is a small token of appreciation
to the man who built this place, the man
who inspired the movement to create our
Society. One final note: This home was purchased from Irving’s family in 1945; two
years later it was opened to the public. The
purchase and restoration were financed by
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who in the year of
the opening, 1947, was awarded our Medal
of Merit, to honor him for his effort to preserve this historic home.
“Thank you all for coming today.”
Sunnyside
Sandy Sanford, John Mauk Hilliard and
Maria Dering
Lianne Neuhauser, Tom and Mary Lynne Bird,
and Charles Neuhauser
At the beginning of the tour the group heard a brief
recapitulation of how, why and when Washington
Irving settled at Sunnyside.
Terry Blake with her son
Owen Blake
President Bill Follett delivers
his address.
A guide in period costume
described features of
Irving’s home.
Mary Lynne Bird with John Blake
Erika Billick with her uncle,
Stephen B. Billick
Joe and Barbara Wittmann
“I grew up on Lake Champlain and understand that sentiment completely. I am
drawn to it as he was drawn here.
“I am certain that our founders and many
early members of our Society visited
Sunnyside often. You must think they are
happy to see us here today. Could they have
3
MARIAN HEISKELL IS AWARDED MEDAL OF MERIT AT 171ST FEAST
O
n Tuesday, December 6, 2005, members of The Saint Nicholas
Society and their guests celebrated the
feast of our patron saint, Nicholas, Bishop of
Myra. The event took place, with full traditional panoply, at the Union Club, on Park Avenue at 69th Street. The evening began with a
cocktail reception on the balcony, where a
beautifully decorated Christmas tree announced the spirit of the season, and a friendly
fire blazed in the hearth near the bar. Old friends
and new exchanged greetings until called to
await the procession of honored guests, officers,
stewards, and past presidents. At the invitation
of President William R. Follett, our chaplain,
the Reverend Thomas F. Pike, gave the invocation and the group joined in singing the traditional Dutch hymn “We Gather Together.”
After President Follett’s message of greeting,
1st Vice President John McC. Shannon offered
the traditional toast to Her Majesty Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands, followed by the national anthem of the Netherlands, “The Wilhelmus.” The Honorable Cora Minderhoud,
Consul General, graciously accepted the toast,
and answered with one to the President of the
United States of America, which was followed
by “The Star Spangled Banner.” The round of
traditional toasts continued with one to our ancestors, eloquently pronounced by 2nd Vice
President John P. T. Blake, perching upon his
chair, and in his inimitable manner reciting the
wonderful verses which have become such a
delightful and memorable part of our observances. And finally, John Mauk Hilliard, 3rd
Vice President, gave the toast to St. Nicholas,
the goed heilig man, whose fame has
passed down to posterity in memory especially of his kindness and generosity to the
young, such as the young women for whom
he provided gold marriage portions. As a
token of his example of generosity, everyone found at their place a gift bag containing a Delft ceramic Christmas ornament,
and a package of Dutch Christmas cookies,
or speculaas.
Dinner began with an asparagus salad, with
an excellent white wine, followed by roast
beef, vegetables, and tiny new potatoes,
with a fine red wine. All was topped off
with a delicate apple tart, and a dish of speculaas, with coffee and tea. As the elegant
dinner progressed, we enjoyed another kind
of progress, in the form of the procession of
the Weathercock, proudly held aloft by
Chief Steward Joe Wittmann III, whose itinerary to the podium was helped along by the
motion of countless handkerchiefs waved to
create a breeze (smoke-free, as
required by City ordinance since 2004).
President Follett reminded us that our handsome antique vane was a gift from Washington Irving to the Society in 1848. All
indications are that it came from the former
federal building (previously the City Hall,
constructed about 1701), which until the
early 1830s stood high over Wall Street, facing down Broad Street. There, George
Washington was sworn in as first president
of the United States. The structure was replaced by the U.S. Custom House building,
erected in 1833-1842 (later the U.S. Subtreasury Building, 1862-1925, and now a
museum known as Federal Hall National
Memorial).
We were delighted to welcome five new
members who were inducted into the Society, with impressive introductions by
George H. McNeely IV, Chairman of
Admissions: Peter Livingston Bogardus,
Sidney Tuttle Bogardus, Bromme Hampton
Cole, Stanley Dean Heisler, and Charles
Michael Anthony Winn. An enthusiastic
welcome was offered to one and all.
Charles and McDowell Winn with
Campbell McCrary
Kazie Harvey with Stephen Billick
The centerpiece of the evening was the
presentation of The Saint Nicholas Society
Medal of Merit to Marian S. Heiskell, “For
Continued on next page
Maria Dering and her husband, Floyd
(“Sandy”) Sanford
Past President Kent and Donna Straat with
Bob Naud
Ronald and Betsy Atkins
President William R. Follett with past
President Henry Darlington
Past President Samuel D. Williams with
George H. McNeely IV
4
President William R. Follett and Medals Committee
Chairman John Milnes Baker presented the
Society’s Medal of Merit to Marian Heiskell at the
podium after an eloquent introduction by Lys
McLaughlin (Mrs. Thomas F. Pike), Director of
Council on the Environment of New York City.
Dutch Consul General Cora Minderhoud with
Ambassador Edward R. Finch, Jr.
Society Chaplain the Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Pike with
President William R. Follett
George Rudd Mackenzie and W. Seton Ijams
Victor Dupont, Dr. Francis Persse Powers
and Lynn Dupont
outstanding service to the City of NewYork,
in recognition of her vision, advocacy and
leadership.” His Honor, the Mayor of the
City of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg,
sent his personal greetings and words of
welcome to the Society, with his commendation of members “for your commitment
to carrying on the organization’s traditions
and for everything you do to protect our
City’s rich historic heritage.”
Mayor Bloomberg particularly offered his
congratulations to Marian S. Heiskell on receiving the Medal of Merit: “First presented
to Robert Moses in 1937, this award pays
tribute to those who are working to make
our City a better place. Like the Saint
Nicholas Society, Ms. Heiskell has had a
profound impact on New York. She has
been an examplary leader for our City, and
her civic-minded spirit sets a wonderful example for us all.”
The Mayor closed his communication with
an expression of “his best wishes for an enjoyable event and for continued success.”
(Received by fax transmission, December
6, 2005.)
After Ms. Heiskell’s acceptance speech,
with many vignettes of her career in civic
good works, the evening closed with a
benediction by Dr. Pike, and singing of the
traditional Scottish parting song (as led by
St. Nicholas former president John Milnes
Baker) “We’re Nae Awa’,” with its chorus:
“Oh we’re nae awa’ to bide awa’ / We’re nae
awa to leave ya / We’re nae awa’ to bide
awa’ / We’ll aye come back and see ya”
(that is, in 21st-century American, “We’re
not [going] away to stay away, we’ll always
come back and see you”).
Honored guests, in addition to The Honorable Cora Minderhoud, and Marian S.
Heiskell, were: Eleanor Thomas Elliott,
Medalist in 2002; Alan Frese, President,
New England Society in New York; Annette
Geddes, President, Colonial Dames of
America; James McNaughton Hester,
Medalist in 1967; and Natalie T. Pray,
President, The Saint George’s Society.
Patrons of the event included: Daniel H.
Baldini, Daniel S. Curtis, Henry Darlington,
Jr., Eleanor Thomas Elliott, R. Brandon
Fradd, George H. McNeely IV, Andre
Thorne Naud, Robert Armstead Naud, Dr.
Francis Persse Powers, and Mr. & Mrs.
Samuel Dunstan Williams.
John C. Harvey
5
ST. MARK’S
PROCLAIMS
SAINT
NICHOLAS
SOCIETY
SUNDAY
B
y resolution of the clergy and
vestry, St. Mark’s Church in-theBowery proclaimed, as of April
21, 2005, that the first Sunday in December shall be called “Saint Nicholas Society Sunday” in recognition of the
long-standing association of the Society
with St. Mark’s. On Sunday, December
4th, St. Mark’s held a church service in
honor of our patron saint, Nicholas of
Myra, and the Society was represented by
our President, William R. Follett. The
wording of the resolution (which may be
seen, handsomely framed, at our headquarters) notes that the Society “has generously expressed its support of St.
Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery and honored its significance to New York City
history, especially its associations with
New Amsterdam and Peter Stuyvesant”;
also noted is the Society’s “recent award to
St. Mark’s” in recognition of “the church’s
ongoing importance through its diverse
and innovative ministries”; it is therefore
resolved “that the Wardens, Vestry and
Priest-in-Charge, on behalf of the people
of St. Mark’s, do hereby declare the first
Sunday in December St. Nicholas Society Sunday as an expression of gratitude and a sign of the earnest desire to
foster and on-going bond between the
Society and the Church.” Signed by:
Fr. Julio Torres, Priest-in-Charge;
Marti Mackenzie, Senior Warden; and
Jerry Long, Clerk of the Vestry. At the
bottom
of
the
resolution is the following summary in
Dutch: “De St. Mark’s Kerk aan de
Bouwerij heeft dit besluit genomen in
de ere van de St. Nicholas Vereniging
de met veel ijver de Nederlandse
geschiedenis van de Stad New York
bewaard en als dank voor hun ondersteuning, die deze vereniging aan de
St. Mark’s Kerk verleend.”
Book Review
S
aint Nicholas members will be greatly interested in New Netherland: A Dutch
Colony in Seventeenth-Century America, a handsomely printed book of permanent value (well worth the price). This
volume deserves to reach a wide public at
this time of rekindling of interest in our
Dutch colonial heritage.
New Netherland;
A Dutch Colony in
Seventeenth-Century America
Jaap Jacobs
The author, Jaap Jacobs, holds a Ph.D.
(1999) from the University of Leiden. His
work was originally published in Dutch,
as Een zegenrijk gewest: Nieuw-Nederland
in de zeventiende eeuw (Amsterdam:
Prometheus/Bert Bakker, 1999), and he himself wrote this English translation, thoroughly revised and updated. (The Dutch title may
be translated: “A blessing-rich region: New
Netherland in the 17th century”; the first
words allude to a contemporary Dutch description of the natural wealth and beauty of
the land.)
Jacobs gives a remarkably full, accurate, and
authoritative account of the Dutch colonial
settlement in North America. The most striking feature of his work is that it is founded
primarily upon archival material that the author read in the original Dutch manuscripts
(or in photocopies or microfilms of them),
both in the Netherlands and in the United
States. Few, if any, previously published general studies of New Netherland have been
based on such close, first-hand study of manuscript material in both locations.
Jacobs calls attention to historical developments, but his work is not in the form of a
chronology of New Netherland events from
the 1620s until 1664. Rather, it is a close-up
portrait of Dutch-American society from a
variety of angles: 1) early eyewitness accounts of New Netherland; 2) patterns of immigration and settlement; 3) government and
administration; 4) finance and trade; 5) religion; 6) class and social structure; 7) customs, folklore, and everyday life. The
bibliography lists archival sources (with locations) and printed sources.
There is also an illustration section, with reproductions of early maps, pictures of historical figures, and photos of manuscripts, as of
the famous letter (in the Dutch National
Archives, The Hague) from Peter Jansz.
Schaghen (or Schagen) to the States General, November 5, 1626, announcing that the
Island of Manhattan had been purchased
from the Indians “for the value of 60
guilders” (“voor de waerde van 60. gld.”);
i.e. for trade goods valued at 60 guilders.
This is of course the original documentary
source of the hoary old canard that the Dutch
bought Manhattan for $24.00 (as computed
by nineteenth-century historians, at the exchange rate of 2 1/2 silver Holland guilders
to one U.S. silver dollar).
Leiden, The Netherlands:
and Boston, Mass.:
Brill Academic Publishers, 2005
ISBN 90 04 12906 5
Pp. xix + 559 (hardcover)
Price: $195.00 US; Euros 150.00
The manufacturing and import of alcohol
seems to have been of prominent concern to
the early settlers, with the principal local
product being beer (for use in the colony)
and the main alcohol imports being wine,
brandy, and gin as luxury items. Early settlers had noticed the abundance of wild
grapes, and had thought of developing a
wine industry in New Netherland, but this
plan was not put into effect at the time (at the
present day, excellent wines are produced
in several regions of New York State). However, the growing of tobacco, both for
domestic use and for export, was a major
agricultural activity in the colony. Tobacco
was shipped in barrels, like those depicted on
the seal of our Society, and on the arms of the
City of New York.
Among New Netherlanders, sports included
such pastimes as bowling (familiar to readers
of the story of Rip Van Winkle), target shooting, and, in the winter, ice skating and sleigh
riding. One then-popular recreation that has
happily disappeared was “pulling the goose”
(ganstrekken). This involved suspending a
hapless goose in the air by a rope: people
would ride by, and try to grab hold of its
greased neck and yank its head off; the successful contender got to keep the decapitated
goose. One is glad to learn that this revolting
activity was condemned by the director general and the council. Apparently (and perhaps not surprisingly) the event had often
been accompanied by a good deal of rowdy
and disruptive behavior on the part of the
participants and spectators.
An important part of Jacobs’s discussion
necessarily centers on the fur trade, which
provided one of the primary incentives for
establishing the Dutch colony (a beaver appears prominently on the coat of arms of the
6
City of New York and on the seal of our Society). The author presents contemporary
statistics indicating that over the period from
1624 to 1635, approximately 80,000 beaver
pelts (worth 6 to 10 guilders each) were exported from New Netherland. The letter by
Peter Schaghen, referred to above, mentions
that the same ship which in 1626 brought
home the news of the purchase of Manhattan, also carried 7,246 beaver pelts.
I have often been puzzled by the question of
why beaver pelts were so valuable at that
time. Jacobs does not go into detail about the
question, since it does not directly concern
his portrait of New Netherland. The answer,
as many Saint Nicholas members are doubtless aware, is that beaver fur was used in
making the broad-brimmed, high-crowned
hats (worn by men and by women) that one
notices in paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer,
Frans Hals, and other 17th-century artists.
Peter Stuyvesant is often portrayed wearing
this style of hat. The hat was not made from
the beaver pelt itself; rather, certain kinds of
hairs were carefully removed from the pelt
and made into felt, which then, by an elaborate series of complicated, skilled processes
would be made into a hat. The great expense
of these luxurious hats was as much in the
manufacturing as in the cost of the beaver
pelts. In later years, as beavers were hunted
almost to extinction, changing fashions (and
the availability of machine-made felt after
1846) led to the general discontinuance of
the quest for beaver pelts.
Jaap Jacobs’s comprehensive and authoritative study, based on primary source materials, is doubtless destined to become an
essential work for anyone interested in New
Netherland.
Francis J. Sypher, Jr.
IN MEMORIAM:
F
Fred Gleason
second grade), before going to
Choate. He then
graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania; from the
Wharton School of
Business he received the degree of
MBA in 1970. In New York, Fred worked
for a number of securities firms before
eventually moving to Savannah, where he
taught history to underprivileged students,
and continued his long-standing interest in
journalism. He had a deft way with words,
both in speaking and in writing, and was enthusiastically involved in the launching in
2001 of the present-day New York Sun,
where the long-familiar masthead, with its
Photo: The New York Sun
rederick Brockway Gleason III died
on November 28, 2005, in Savannah,
Georgia, where he had been living
for some years. He was gunned down, according to reports, in an apparent “botched
robbery” attempt upon him and his wife
outside their home in Savannah.
Fred was born November 15, 1941, son of
the late Frederick Brockway Gleason, Jr.,
and Mary Dewart Gleason, and grandson of
William Dewart, publisher in the 1930s and
1940s of the famous New York newspaper
The Sun, which was sold in 1950. His Saint
Nicholas membership dated from September 28, 1970, in right of descent from
Gerrett Hendricks Dewees. He was born
in New York City, and attended several
local schools (including Trinity School, for
memorable motto “It shines for all,” can
now be seen again on New York newsstands. Fred was active in numerous clubs,
organizations, and hereditary societies, including the Pilgrims of the United States,
the Society of Colonial Wars, and the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. He
was also a member of the Veteran Corps of
Artillery, and of the Society of the War of
1812.
He is survived by his wife, the former Ann
Powell Lackey, and their daughter, Ann
Powell Dewart Gleason, who made her
début at the Paas Festival in 2000. News articles appeared in The New York Sun,
November 30, 2005 (also an editorial), and
in the Savannah Morning News, December
2, 2005.
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED
Name
Peter Livingston Bogardus
Andrew Lanark Bogardus
Sidney Tuttle Bogardus
Bromme Hampton Cole
Stanley Dean Heisler
Nicholas Cownhoven Taylor
Charles Michael Anthony Winn
Date of Election
Dec. 6, 2005
Dec. 6, 2005
Dec. 6, 2005
Dec. 6, 2005
Dec. 6, 2005
Oct. 13, 2005
Oct. 13, 2005
Ancestor
Domine Everardus Bogardus
Domine Everardus Bogardus
Domine Everardus Bogardus
Barent Jacobsen Cool
Lambert Jochemse van Valkenburg
Wolfert Gerritse Van Kouwenhoven
Stephen Knowlton
SALMAGUNDI
Courtney C. Haff, at an event in “Five
Dutch Days” (a five-day-long celebration
of Netherlandish culture in New York),
gave a lecture titled “Vision for the New
Amsterdam History Center”; this was part
of a panel of lectures sponsored by the
New Amsterdam History Center, and the
American Institute of Architects New York
Chapter and American Planning Association NY Metro Chapter; the event was supported by Collegiate Church Corporation,
and New Netherland Institute. Among
speakers were: Christopher Moore, trustee
of the New Amsterdam History Center;
Frank Sypher; and Jeroen van den Hurk,
Dissertation Fellow, New Netherland
Institute.
Robert Stephen Roberson, of Newport
News, Virginia, noticed in the last issue of
The Weathercock the statement that our
files were missing a copy the issue for
October 1963, and at once realized that,
having been elected to membership on
September 30, 1963, he had saved his copy
of that issue, since it contained the announcement of his election. He located it
in his files and generously donated it to the
Society, which now has a full and complete
set of issues. We express our gratitude to
him, and to all members who donated back
issues to complete the set.
The Weathercock issues for October 1962
through Fall 2005 were consigned last
summer to a professional bookbinder for
sewing and binding into a handsome hardcover volume, with a sturdy slipcase. The
cost of binding was supported by the Society, aided by contributions from board
members, such as Thomas E. Bird, to
whom the Society is grateful. We trust that
the series (including the previously missing issue of October 1963, received in time
7
to be bound in with the rest) will now remain intact, so that future members will be
able to consult its record of our activities
during the past 43 years.
Frank Sypher is author of Letitia Elizabeth Landon: A Bibliography (Ann Arbor:
Scholars’ Facsimiles & Reprints, 2005),
volume 15 in his series of books (19902005) by and about this early 19th-century
British poet and novelist (1802-1838). His
biography of Landon was published in
2004.
Chief Steward Joseph vanBeuren
Wittmann III and Jennifer L. Wittmann
are parents of a daughter, Elizabeth Margaret Schuyler Wittmann, born September
12, 2005, at Mount Kisco, Westchester
Co., N.Y. The Schuyler name is well established among members of the Wittmann
family.
NECROLOGY
THE SAINT NICHOLAS SOCIETY
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
The Society has received notice of the death of the following members:
Name
Date of Election
Date of Death
Carlisle Norwood
Feb. 27, 1933
July 11, 2005
Oct. 11, 1994
July 30, 2005
John Winthrop Malcom
Davis Van Beuren Mitchell
Nov. 3, 1947
Aug. 4, 2005
Beverly Cory Chew
April 29, 1963
Aug. 26, 2005
Thomas Frederick Spencer
Jan. 19, 1981
Aug. 28, 2005
Charles Gifford Miller
Jan. 30, 1998
Aug. 2005
John Elliott, Jr.
Oct. 11, 1994
Oct. 29, 2005
Frederick Brockway Gleason III
Sept. 28, 1970
Nov. 28, 2005
Russell Brown, Jr.
Nov. 3, 1947
2005
122 EAST 58TH STREET,
NEW YORK, NY 10022-1909
TELEPHONE: 212-753-7175
FAX: 212-980-0769
EMAIL: [email protected]
OFFICERS
WILLIAM R. FOLLETT
PRESIDENT
JOHN McC. SHANNON
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
JOHN P. T. BLAKE
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
JOHN MAUK HILLIARD
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2006
Thursday, February 23
Friday, March 31
Thursday, April 20
Thursday, May 18
Winter Stated Meeting
Paas Festival
Board of Managers Meeting
Spring Stated Meeting
THIRD VICE PRESIDENT
St. George’s Church
St. Regis Hotel
Office
Racquet & Tennis Club
OFFICE RELOCATION
Before the Society relocates to a new office (the move is presently in the planning stages), members should
get in touch if they would like to acquire any old event photos, books, or other items (including a 40” tall
Herring-Hall-Marvin safe) that will not be taken to the new headquarters.
GEORGE H. MCNEELY IV
FOURTH VICE PRESIDENT
STEPHEN B. BILLICK
SECRETARY
WILLIAM POTTER JOHNS
TREASURER
THE WEATHERCOCK
AN OCCASIONAL PUBLICATION
OF THE SOCIETY,
WRITTEN, EDITED AND PRODUCED
BY
FRANCIS J. SYPHER, JR.
JOHN McC. SHANNON
www.saintnicholassociety.org
122 East 58th Street
New York, NY 10022-1909
of the City of New York
The Saint Nicholas Society